Dispensing apparatus.



UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

CHARLES W. SHONK, OF MAYWOOD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 CHARLES W.-SI-IONK 7 COMPANY, OF MAYWOOD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY. v

DISPENSING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

To all'whom it may concern: 5

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. SnoNmg a citizen of the United States, residing in; Maywood, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new-and useful; Improvement in Dispensing Apparatus, of; which the following is a specification. 1

My invention relates to drinking straw dispensing holders or receptacles.

The object of my invention is to provide a dispensing can, receptacle or holder for; drinking or soda fountain straws which. will be of a simple, efiicient and durable con-: struction, and serve to keep the strawsin a clean and sanitary condition, while at the same time adapting them to be conveniently removed, a few, one or more at a time as;v required. I

My invention consists in the means I employ to practically accomplish this object or result. The same comprises a sheet metal can or receptacle having a dispensing opening in its front wall near the bottom, and a hinged cover at its top for placing the straws therein, a bottom provided with a curved or upwardly inclined dispensing shelf or momher at the front, a self-closing, inwardly opening, vertically swinging dispensing gate or member at the front adapted to swing inwardly to a limited extent and permit one or ,more of the straws to be grasped by the fingers at a time, and provided with an inclined guard or shield mounted above the hinged gate to support the main body of the straws in the receptacle and form a contracted mouth between its lower edge and the bottom of the receptacle through whlch the straws may feed or roll onto the upwardly inclined or curved dispensing shelf, access to which is given by the inwardly swinglng gate, thus enabling the straws to be taken one, two or-tliree or more at a time as required, while the fingers only come in contact with the straws that are taken from the receptacle.

My invention also consists in the novel constructions of parts and devices and in the novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown and described and more particularly specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a perspective view of a drinking straw dispensing holder or receptacleembodying my invention- Fig. 2 isa horizontal section on line; 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 is a vertical section on thebroken line 44. of

Fig. 3.

In the drawing, 1 represents the body of a dispensing holder or receptacle, the same being preferably of rectangular shape and in length somewhat exceeding the length of the straws 2 to be dispensed. The body is preferably formed from a single piece of tin plate or other suitable sheet metal formed or bent rectangularly to form the upright back 8, upright ends 4, 5 and upright front 6, the meeting ends of the blank being joined at the back by a lock or folded seam 7 which is inwardly offset or fits on the inside to leave the back smooth on the outside. To give the receptacle an ornamental appearance the ends 4, 5 preferably have circularly curved upper edges 8 which may be provided with inturned folds to make the edges smooth and to stiffen the end plates 4, 5 at their upper edges. The curved edges 8 also have inward offsets 10 so that the end flanges 11 of the dome shaped hinged cover 12 may fit flush with the end plates 4', 5 of the body of the receptacle, while embracing the same. The hinged cover 12 has integral hinge ears or eyes 13 which cooperate with corresponding integral hinge ears or eyes 14 on the back 3 of the box body at the upper edge thereof to connect the cover pivotally to the body by the hinge pin 15. The curved or dome shaped cover 12 has an integral,

cylindrical roll 16 at its longitudinal front,

edge to stiffen the same and form a locking lip to engage and overlap the upper front edge 16 of the receptacle body and hold the cover securely closed, while adapting it to be readily opened when required by pushing on the roll 16 with the thumb or finger, the roll thus serving as a finger piece also. To give the front 6 of the box body a smooth upper edge and to stiffen the same, the front 6 is provided with an internal fold 17 at its front upper edge. v

18 is the sheet-metal bottom of thereceptacle, the same having a downwardly inclined rear portion 19 andan upwardly inclined' and preferably curved front portion 20 constituting the dispensing shclf, and a thereof. The bottom member 18 is provided with a broad flange 23 at its longitudinal back edge and with tapering flanges 24 at its end edges which are embraced by seam flanges 25 and 26 on the back and end members 3, 4, 5 respectively of the body, thus securing the bottom member 18 to the body of the receptacle. The bottom member 18 is provided with an inturned fold 27 at the lower longitudinal edge of its substantially upright but frontwardly inclined or curved member 21 to give the same a smooth lower edge and to strengthen and stiffen the same, the seam flanges 25, 26 giving a smooth lower edge to and stiffening the back member 3 and end members 4, 5 of the body.

The front member 6 of the receptacle body 1 has flanges 28, 29 which overlap the nearly upright front member 21 of the bottom plate 18, and these flanges 28 are extended across the ends of the dispensing opening 22 to form ledges or stops for the hinged dispensing gate 30 of the receptacle to shut or close against.

The inwardly opening vertically swinging dispensing gate 30 is provided with a roll 31 at its upper edge to receive the hinge pins 32 by which it is pivotally connected to the end plates 4, 5 of the receptacle body. And it is provided at its lower edge with an inwardly curved semi-circular lip 33 preferably conforming in diameter to the size of the straws to be dispensed, so that this straw grasping lip may cause the inwardly swinging gate to more effectually grasp and push inward under the lower edge of the inclined guard or shield 34 the main body or bulk of the straws that are directly inside the swinging gate and over the upwardly inclined dispensing shelf 20. The mouth 35 between the lower edge of the inclined shield or guard 34 is made wide or large enough to enable the straws to readily feed under the lower edge of the shield 34 into the dispensing chamber 36 and at the same time be readily forced back through said mouth 35 by the inward movement of the swinging gate 30; so that the inward movement of the gate will have no tendency to crush the straws in the dispensing chamber 36 against the inclined shield or guard 34, while at the same time leaving a few of the straws exposed on the shelf 20 in position to be readily grasped by the fingers when the dispensing gate is pushed inward.

A spring 37, preferably a flat twisted spring, is secured to the inclined guard or shelf 34, and presses against the dispensing gate 30 to hold it normally closed, while permitting it to be readily pushed inward by the fingers. The spring is preferably secured to the shield 34 by means of an integral offset loop 38 in the shield 34 formed by slits 39 therein and through which loop the end of the spring is inserted. The inclined shield or guard 34 is provided at its lower edge with an integral fold 40 to give it a smooth edge: and it is preferably secured in position bet-ween the end plates 4, 5 of the receptacle 1 by means of upturned integral tongues 41 on the front plate 6 at the upper, longitudinal edge of the dispensing opening 22. therein, which are inserted through suitable slots 42 at the bend or fold of the reverse right angle flanges 43, 44 at the upper edge of the shield or guard 34, and which parallel right angle flanges 43, 44 embrace between them the tongues 41, thus securing the inclined guard 34 in position, while at the same time adapting its inclination to be adjusted and the width of the feed mouth 35 correspondingly varied, the tongues 41. being to some extent bendable. The tongues 41 are preferably left projeot ing out at an angle as shown in the drawing, as they thus form a ledge or support for the straws in arching themselves to some extent over the feed mouth 35 when the receptacle is entirely full of straws. 41 thus to some extent limit the pressure of the straws in the main body of the receptacle against each other and through the feed mouth 35. The flanges 28, 29 at the ends of the dispensing opening 22 are furnished with curved or recessed portions 45, 46 to receive the ends of the straw grasping lip 33 of the swinging dispensing gate 30. The end plates 4, 5 of the body of the receptacle are preferably upwardly curved and inclined at their front base portions 47 48 about as shown in the drawings at Figs. 1 and 3.

I claim 1. In a dispensing receptacle, the combination with a body having an opening in the front wall thereof, an inclined guard within the body member forming a contracted feed mouth between its lower edge and the bottom of the body member, and an inwardly opening gate pivoted at its upper edge to the front wall of the body member along the upper edge of said opening therein, said gate when in closed position covering said opening and forming a continuation of the front wall of the body member and adapted, when swung inwardly, to push articles within said body member backwardly through said contracted feed month while leaving a few of the articles exposed in position to be grasped i through said opening, substantially as specified.

2. In a dispensing receptacle, the combination with a body having a downwardly inclined bottom at its rear portion and an up wardly inclined front portion forming a dis pensing shelf, an inclined shield having a contracted feed mouth between its lower edge and the bottom of the receptacle and an inwardly opening hinged dispensing gate The projections adapted to force the articles to be dispensed backward and inward through said feed mouth as it swings inward, while leaving a few of the articles exposed on the dispensing shelf in position to be grasped, and a spring for normally closing and holding closed said gate, substantially as specified.

3. In a dispensing receptacle, the combination with a body having a downwardly inan inwardly opening hinged dispensing gate adapted to force the articles to be dispensed backward and inward through said feed mouth as it swings inward, while leaving a few of the articles exposed on the dispenslng shelf in position to be grasped, and a spring for normally closing and holding closed said gate, said dispensing gate havin an inwardly curved article grasping hp at its lower edge, substantially as specified.

CHARLES W. SHONK. Witnesses:

H. M. MUNDAY, Es'rnnn ABRAMS.

Copies of thin patent may be obtained for in cents each, by addressing the comminloner of Patenta. Washington, D. 0. 

